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Posted 10 months ago
Hardbrake
(35 items)
In 1935 my step dad, Malcome (Buck) DeWeese, road his bicycle to Paris Hill Park, which is located on Highland Ave., in San Bernardino, California. He lived in San Bernardino, and it was only about 4 miles from his home. He took with him, his catcher mitt and a desire to play baseball. Paris Hill Park was home the the Pittsburgh Pirates, winter training camp. According to my step dad, he told them that he wanted to play for them and they let him catch all day and at the end of the day the Pirates offered him a contract, (35,000 a year) a hole lot of money in the depression. Malcome had played for the south-western league as a catcher and had been a college and high school star player. The above information I received from my step dad after asking him many questions about his baseball years. He played baseball for about 11 years ending at the start of World War II. Late in the 1935 season he injured his right shoulder when he ran into a brick back stop while attempting to catch a foul ball. He was unable to throw the ball as hard as he had been and because of this injury was moved down to the Pirates farm team, the Portsmount, Pirates. This team picture which has him in it, identified as player number 9, was given to him by the team as a going away gift. The pitcher was taken in the ball park at Paris Hill Park. All of the players signed it except for 5 players including Malcome, the bat boy (the owner's son), and the owner (on the right end). The picture was stored in a small cardboard tube from 1935 until 1985 when I had it framed and I hung it his room on fathers day. The picture is about 3 feet 6 inches long and 6.5 inches wide. The signatures are in grate shape and 3 players whom are not pictured have signed the photo. Due to picture size I cut them out as they are in the top of the picture on the right hand side. The outfield couch Honus Wanger (#32) did not sign this picture. There are 9 hall of fame players pictured and 7 have signed, to include P. & L. Waner (Big Poison and Little Poison) as they were known in their day. The non pictured players who have signed are Gus Suhr, J. (chilly) Doyle and George Aston. This is a found memory for me of a very good man and a friend. Hardbrake
Baseball PhotosFrom team roster shots to original wire photographs to autographed portrait…
PhotographsFrom Mathew Brady's Civil War photos to Ansel Adams' landscapes to Irving P…
Nice photo and this could be important ... are you saying that Honus Wagner is in this picture? He's legendary and one of the 'holy grails' of baseball. Honus was a coach for the Pittsburgh Pirates for 39 years starting in 1933. If Wagner is pictured in the image, this is a piece of history. BTW; the image was shot using a Cirkut No.6 camera. Also please scan or take a close-up picture of No.32.
First off Thanks for the nice comment, and the correct way to spell Honus, yes I have a close up picture of the team and I took the picture with a Nikon macro digital f2.8 lens from about 7 inches away and moved the tripod instead of moving the tripod head. I alined the tripod by the aid a a laser square at each movement. I then ran the five frames in photo shop editing for panorama. The shot I have posted is a Jpeg at a level (2), this is fine for showing on the web but someone could not make a print bigger then about 4 x 1.2. I have your email address and I will send you a very nice shot of Honus. He is identified as H. Wagner at the bottom of the picture. My step dad and Honus were good friends and he liked him a lot. I will make a copy of the large file and and e-mail it to you of number 32. John Oh do you have a Cirkut No. 6? I wold love to take a picture with one.
John ... I received your e-mail and close-up images. Good photography and that's definitely Honus. This is a fabulous story and I replied back to your e-mail with lots of comments and thoughts. As far as a Cirkut No.6 camera, working versions are rare and quite pricey. Given that your step dad was a friend of Wagner, check around for any correspondence.
Thank You: My step dad told me Honus was a very nice man and everybody liked him. I have a few more items that wee my step dads and baseball related but nothing as nice as this. Yes you can talk to anyone you want regarding this photo and its story. I will send you and e-mail John